This New Year's Eve, Americans who make New Year's resolutions are eleven times more likely to report continued success
changing a problem than comparable individuals who have not made a resolution, according to the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
ReadyWisconsin wants to encourage you to make preparing for an emergency a resolution that is both important and easy to keep.

Put together emergency supply kits for home and car
You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in
sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a
disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic
services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer.
Click here for a checklist of supplies for your home.

Be informed about the different types of emergencies that can happen in Wisconsin.
Learn about the hazards that may strike your community, the risks you face from these hazards and your community's plans for
warning and evacuation. Click here for winter survival tips.

Here are some ways to can encourage friends, family and co-workers to be ready:

Display the contents of an emergency kit at your employer's reception desk. This will serve as a great visual
reminder of the importance of emergency preparedness for your employees or office visitors as they come into the establishment. Next to
the display, provide handouts of ReadyWisconsinemergency supply kit checklist so that people know how to assemble their own kits.
Click here for the checklist.

Distribute Family Emergency Plan templates to your neighbors at home and at work. Emphasize the season's
communal focus and encourage your neighbors to plan what they will do in different situations. Printer friendly versions of
emergency plans are available on our website and can easily be included in a holiday card or mailer.

Include an Emergency Preparedness quiz in your company's year-end newsletter. The quiz can be included in
an e-mail, on your Web site or you could give it to your members, employees or customers at local events.Click here for our ReadyWisconsin quiz.

Plan preparedness programs at your local school. After winter vacation, January is a great time to work with
school officials to make emergency preparedness a part of their efforts. For example, families can be invited to hear from local
officials about the school and community emergency plans. Consider having a local first responder teach parents how to assemble
an Emergency Supply Kit and develop a Family Emergency Plan.

Check on your senior neighbors and those who may need additional assistance. Seniors and individuals with disabilities
may need a little extra help in getting prepared and during a disaster or emergency. Next time you are visiting, tell them about
your own preparedness efforts, ask about their needs and how you can help.

Partner with an Organization that Works with People with Access and Functional Needs like Seniors, People
with Disabilities and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Populations. This could include meal delivery or faith-based organizations
to help communicate emergency preparedness messages. Work with your local hospital, mental health center, library, church,
community center, independent living center, or nursing home to host a training or event.

Spread the Word about Financial Preparedness. Your organization can help those who rely on Federal benefits
learn about safer, more convenient ways to access their money. Switching from paper checks to electronic payment is a simple but
significant step people can take to protect themselves before disaster strikes. The Go Direct® campaign gives people who have
checking or savings accounts a fast, free way to sign up for direct deposit. The Direct Express® Debit Master Card gives people
without bank accounts a secure, convenient and the U.S. Department of Treasury-recommended way to receive their Social Security
payments. Visit www.godirect.org for more information.

Organize a Scavenger Hunt. Organize a scavenger hunt at a local community center for kids to search for
items that should be included in an Emergency Supply Kit. While the kids are hunting for supply kit items, it's a great
opportunity to hand out Family Emergency Plan templates to their parents and/or caregivers.

Plan Preparedness Activities for Scouts and Other Youth Organizations. Make preparedness a priority
throughout the year for scout meetings and activities. Conduct preparedness quizzes, download and create personalized checklists;
draft family plans. Girl Scouts can work toward achieving the new Preparedness Patch and Boy Scouts can work toward the
Emergency Preparedness Award.

ReadyWisconsin encourages you to use these tools to make a New Year's resolution that will keep you and your loved ones safe.

ReadyWisconsin is an initiative of Wisconsin Emergency Management designed to educate and empower Wisconsinites to prepare for
and respond to all kinds of emergencies including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks.